LenT

Very interesting, Steve. I did, momentarily, consider getting a D/A Polisher - but decided that if it need that much attention, at my age I’d prefer to take the car back to the professional who did such an excellent job first time round! I notice you mention applying a ceramic to the front bumper. I did consider having mine wrapped, which would provide more effect protection than the ceramic finish. But in the end decided that the very low mileage I’ve been doing would probably reduce the type of damage you describe- and I could always have it added later. So far that’s worked out fine!

Steve, you don’t mention it, so I wonder if you’ve considered going the snow foam and ceramic coating route? I use Modesta coatings and of course they have a much longer lasting effect than waxes. They are also much more resistant to surface scratches - although, as the guy who did my car detailing emphasised, I had to avoid those mechanical, swirl-making car washes from now on!

But does that mean that no SpaceSaver will fit? How about one for another model? My IS250 came with a SpaceSaver and it proved its worth when a valve was broken off by a helpful lad trying to remove a metal dust cap! Which was useful as the aforementioned gunk would have been useless in such circumstances. Or even one for another make? My Honda Accord also had a SpaceSaver wheel. I would have thought that as long as they have the same stud arrangement and offer a suitable size, then they can be interchanged. After all, they are only designed for low speed, low mileage temporary use. Perhaps the place to check it out is at a good tyre retailer.

Glad to hear it. However, you may have noticed another recent post in which dashcam fitting at Halfords gets a less favourable review. Obviously, much like dealerships, a lot depends on the individual competence of the fitter. Maybe there’s a case for identifying which particular locations perform best - and worst! Or is this already available elsewhere?

Now there must be a moral to this story? If only I could put my finger on it….

I was just tapping out the same info when your reply popped up! It will also help Bhavesh identify which bulb he’s talking about. I had a quick look and bulb replacement seems to start from page 478 in the Manual I looked at.

There’s another site devoted to bikers that’s equally instructive. But as has been noted in another post, it’s sometimes the driver submitting the video who seems more at fault. There are clearly occasions when another driver has made a mistake, or pulled out of a junction rather slowly, say, and the camera owner has not anticipated the situation or exercised any tolerance. As a dashcam owner, it should be sufficient to know that you’ve captured the evidence to convict the transgressor and there’s no need to try and exact instant retribution.

You may be missing that I am being ironic - in the same vein that Caspa was in an earlier post! As I have noted elsewhere, and many times, I am a firm advocate of dashcams. In fact I believe they should be standard equipment on all new cars. Interestingly, our personal experience is that we have been involved in very few recorded incidents - but have recorded a far greater number involving other vehicles or examples of bad and dangerous driving. My impression of dashcam videos is that there seems to be a preponderance in which the camera is acting as an independent witness of someone else’s crash. I can only speak for myself, but from the first time I fitted a camera, I was well aware that it was recording my driving as well as everyone else’s. As I have noted elsewhere, not only does that improve my driving but also my tolerance of other road users. There’s a certain satisfaction in knowing that however badly another road user is behaving, it’s being recorded - as the offender may discover at a later date!

Can’t argue with facts like that…. 😊

This type…. https://blackvue.com/category/video-footage/

As a BlackVue dashcam user myself over many years, it’s a make I can recommend. To which end I thought it might be of interest that there’s currently a Sale of what are described as ‘Certified Refurbished’ products heavily discounted. https://blackvue.co.uk/product-category/outlet/?mc_cid=a1d6ec5458&mc_eid=348237a083 Just saying…..

I’m intrigued Steve…so why did you? For this to be a legitimate moan, I suggest that such a lengthy wait must be more due to an irritating influx of tourists coupled with very slow service and an indifferent product at the end. I note that Aldeburgh does claim to be served by some highly regarded establishments, but of course you don’t anticipate waiting an hour when you join the queue, but the more time you invest in waiting, the harder it becomes to walk away and find some other, possibly less popular place. So was it worth it?

I have a proven antidote for such behaviour, Bernard. Some years ago I exited a roundabout behind a small Ford in a line of slow moving traffic. The traffic speeded up, except for the Ford which apparently could only make 10mph. The traffic in front of the Ford now accelerated away and a queue formed behind me - so I began to overtake the Ford. But before I could complete the manoeuvre the Ford driver located his accelerator and again speeded up to stay in front - and then slowed to about 14mph. To prove it was no accident, he repeated this action when I actually drove past him, undertaking to do so. He was determined my Honda Accord was not going to pass. I suspect his sense of achievement lasted for all of four months, when a local Copper called on him one morning with the video files from my dashcam. If you don't already have one, I can recommend them.

I would have thought so too. Why risk getting caught stealing plates - or even possessing them - when they’re only a small part of a more serious planned bit of illegality? However, I have come across an AA article, dated 2017, which claimed that number plate thefts had more than doubled over the previous five years - from what to what it failed to mention. And whether that growth continued, I don’t know. Apart from the risk of theft, however small, one argument for the plates previously identified is that they are simply better than the standard, screwed plates. They look better and have the clear layer in front that keeps the plate cleaner. So I might have been tempted. For me, however, the crucial disadvantage is that the manufacturer demands sight of original documents to prove identity and ownership. Personally, I am not prepared to entrust such documents to the vagaries of the postal system or the internal security of some unknown company.

Debatable indeed. I think there’s a danger of conflating two water-based arguments here - a pothole versus a signposted ford. The first involves hitting an unexpected water-filled pothole where there’s little chance of assessing the risk. The other situation offers every opportunity to risk assess - and to get it wrong, in which case the Insurer will surely hold the driver responsible for any resulting damage. Of course, potholes are a special case and much depends on whether the Local Authority has already been advised of its existence. In fact the most likely claim is for wheel and/or tyre damage and a claim for compensation can be made against the Local Authority. The guy who Detailed my car told me that he was on his third alloy wheel claim for pothole damage, although presumably not involving the same pothole!

Probably not, because it was a deliberate decision to drive through a level of water that could cause damage. If the car was parked and the water level rose unexpectedly and caused damage, then that would be considered a natural act over which the driver had had little influence. Or, as it used to be called, an Act of God!

And while I’m here, I might as well criticise the web designer! When I go to Latest Posts and see a topic of interest, I jab at the title of the post. However, being the possessor of fat fingers, I’m just as likely to hit the name of the poster directly below it and so end up being taken to their Page. This may give the impression that I am stalking these individuals! Surely it is possible to reposition the poster’s link so that this error can be avoided?

Now there’s no excuse… https://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php Although I do question the sanity of some people who introduce these written acronyms into their speech. So instead of actually Rolling On the Floor Laughing at something amusing, they apparently resort to barking!

On the other hand, if everyone did that then this Forum wouldn’t be half as entertaining! 😊

TPMS batteries are generally regarded as having up to ten years of life, with the average being about six. So it would seem you’ve been running on borrowed time, anyway. I’ve seen a battery replacement video on YT, and I certainly wouldn’t bother to do it. And before you even get to that, you have to remove the tyre! When a helpful stranger broke one of my valves, a nearby tyre retailer was able to match and fit a replacement valve for £60, so a trip to Lexus doesn’t seem inevitable. And of course if you treat yourself to new tyres at the same time, then you’ll be making the most efficient use of that particular task.

This sounds an interesting option Linus. Would you happen to have any details?

I had my Lexus professionally Detailed with ceramic coatings and was delighted with the result. It was white, but I do think that the most dramatic results are with the stronger colours, such as your red and the blue. As I've posted elsewhere, doing it on a brand new car gives the finish the best possible start in life. If you're planning to keep the car for some years, then the substantial initial cost will prove to be a shrewd investment.

Firstly, my Garmin updates are free and quarterly. And the system is far superior to the clunky Lexus offering. Out of curiosity, however, I thought about updating my 2015 Premier. The first searches told my that my model was no longer supported. However, if your mind is set upon it, I did eventually get a solution from Lexus Europe which did lead me to the most current update for 165 Euro - on a MicroSD card, in my case. I discovered that the mistake I'd been making was to give the search page too much information. This is the method that proved successful, from the Lexus Centre in Belgium. First, go to: https://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/ Click on Check Coverage Select IS250 Select system - in my case it was Premium Navigation (13MM). Click on “I do not know my partnumber or disk-id” Select region Europe+Russia and click on next Click on the shopping basket It may now be posssible for you to order your map update...if you so wish. I might have been tempted, but for 165 Euro when I always use the Garmin, it just didn't seem worth it. You may feel differently...

I can see why they have cause to complain about your lack of response. After all, if everyone responds to their training programme about the risks of clicking on links in unexpected emails, by not clicking on a link in an unexpected email, then that’s the end of their training programmes. On the other hand, if no-one responds to their invitation then they can cite it as evidence of their success and perhaps increase their fees. Sounds like a modern variation of Catch 22!

A very good analysis, Linus. When I had mine ‘Detailed’ I did consider having the nose done - for the very reasons you suggest. In the end I decided against it. I reasoned that my mileage, for many reasons, was going to be low and I could afford to wait and see how it was actually affected. Right now only a couple of pinholes have appeared in the paint, which I can deal with myself. So the extra cost would not have been justified. But of course the main advantage of a ‘wrap’ is that it can be applied - and reapplied - with comparative ease by a practiced Detailer. So a nose job is not necessarily out of the question!